Guests have disembarked Riviera Travel’s 40th anniversary with a special event in Paris onboard the MS Jane Austen, hosting guests including travel agents and supplier partners for two short cruises on the Seine via the Eiffel Tower, along with a shore excursion to the Atelier des Lumières digital art centre.
Irish attendees on the cruise included Bernie Burke, Dawn Conway, Eoghan Corry, Carrie Day, Clare Dunne, Linda Maher, Jacinta McGlynn, Carol Anne O’Neill and Conor Power.
The Staffordshire-based company, founded in 1984 with France as its first destination, now offers almost 1,000 departures per year for nearly 100,000 guests in 65 countries and all seven continents, with 256 employees across various locations.
CEO Phil Hullah expressed gratitude to supply partners and agents during the event, highlighting plans for the future, such as investing in the river cruise fleet with two new ships in 2025, introducing themed cruises, expanding solo-specific programmes, and enhancing its presence in Ireland. Mr Hullah listed milestones and targets:
- Bookings revenue for 2024 is up 28pc YoY, and for 2025 is up 61pc .
- April and May river cruises are 95pc sold for this year, with no availability left on either the Douro or Dutch Bulbfields itineraries.
- Adding and enhancing 2024 and 2025 European festive cruises in response to unprecedented demand.
- Trade bookings share rose from 15pc in 2022, to 20pc in 2023 to 25pc in 2024.
- Targeting 200,000 guests overall by 2030.
Phil Hullah said: “It’s been wonderful to celebrate 40 years with so many of the people who made our success possible. I’d like to pay tribute to everyone who has supported us over the years, which of course includes our fantastic travel agent partners, to help make us the largest English-based escorted tour and river cruise operator in Ireland. While we’re incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved, we’re determined not to rest on our laurels, and have ambitious plans in place to continue growing. Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of guests explore the world, ticking off their bucket lists and ensuring they can enjoy everything Europe and destinations all over the world have to offer. We will continue to visit well-loved locations, as well as branching out to even more places across the globe. We do not inflate prices and then discount massively. I also want to pay tribute, both to our team, who I firmly believe are the best in the travel business and also to all of the suppliers and partners whose support over 40 years has been instrumental in helping to build Riviera into the business it is today. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
